The music blog of The Kansas City Star.

April 30, 2012

Review: the Smithereens and 'Prom' night

Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens, one of four bands that performed Saturday night at the Midland. Photo by Megan True/Special to The Star

Saturday’s show at the Midland was an ersatz adult prom sponsored by a local radio station (96.5 FM, The Buzz) that convened four disparate bands to provide the evening’s soundtrack.

Admission was free. Patrons were encouraged to dress in formal attire, and more than half of the crowd of more than 800 or so did just that. So did many of the people tending the bars. It made for a festive evening, despite the colliding styles of music.

Now Now Sleepyhead, a local trio, opened the evening. The band plays an intriguing blend of rock. It’s melodic and groovy, but progressive. Its sound was even more captivating when trumpeter Hermon Mehari stepped in and laid down some jazzy filigrees and embellishments. The crowd was still shuffling in when Sleepyhead started, but the several hundred who watched gave the band a heavy and warm response.

A Silent Film, a Brit-rock quartet from Oxford, England, was next. It bared a host of influences: U2, the Verve, Coldplay, Travis; a few times it insinuated Spandau Ballet. Its sound is typified by the single “You Will Leave a Mark,” a percussive keyboard/guitar anthem with confessional lyrics: “I’m so ashamed at what I’ve become.” It was all accessible and easy to digest, though the pleasant aftertaste was fleeting.

Next up: Dead Sara, a band that would fit in at Rockfest, another radio station’s annual rite of spring. Dead Sara is led by the very abandoned Emily Armstrong, a yowler, howler and screamer of a lead singer. Her voice bears a few resemblances to Courtney Love, Melissa Etheridge and Grace Slick. She is also prone to some impressive histrionics, like climbing high atop stacks of amps and other equipment.

The band features a guitarist named Siouxsie Medley, but its fashion and music are a heavy mix of punk and grunge, right down to the flannel shirt Armstrong tied around her waist.

Its set included “Dear Love,” a chiming, thundering rock anthem, and “Weatherman,” an infernal mix of punk, blues and grunge.

The Smithereens closed out the night, which made them the de facto headliners, I suppose. But Dead Sara had already detonated the mood into scraps and shards of shrapnel. So by the time Pat DiNizio and his mates (including fellow founding members Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken) took the stage, a slow exodus out of the theater was already under way.

They can still throw down the bright pop harmonies, but live they sound heavier and harder than they do on their recordings. The setlist included “Only a Memory,” “Miles From Nowhere,” “Sorry,” “Keep on Running” and “Girl Like You.”

The 200 or so fans who stuck around till the end got to hear a raw and spirited rendition of the band’s biggest hit, “Blood and Roses” from the timeless 1986 album “Especially for You.” A few of those well-dressed couples even slow-danced to that one, as if they’d been taken back in time — back to high school, even.

30 Comments

Very eclectic show of rock and roll. All four bands were enjoyable yet quite different styles. I was really disappointed to see so many people flee the scene before The Smithereens came on. They were outstanding as always. This is a band that paved the way for a lot of bands in the 90's. Kurt Cobain and Nirvana listened to Especially for You the entire time they were recording Nevermind. I feel privileged to have been able to see them again at a place as nice as The Midland. The Prom was a blast! Thanks to Efentra and The Buzz for bringing one of my all time favorite bands back to KC!!

Yeah, really wanted to see the Smithereens again, but didn't have much interest in the other bands nor the prom getup so I blew it off. They always put on a good show w/ usually a Who or Beatles cover thrown in for good measure. Not sure about current bass player but otherwise, original band still together from their hey day which means an always very tight and professional set from those Jersey boys. Should have taken advantage of the free show as they don't play the area much anymore, but was wondering, about how long did they play the other night? Won't kick myself too much if only about an hour set.

Too bad the turnout was so lackluster. There might be a reason for that. My wife and I tried to get in, but were turned away at the door for not being formal enough. We were wearing jeans and dress shirts, my wife an added jacket. After we were stopped, a guy behind us was waved in wearing a t-shirt, jeans and a loosely tied tie thrown around his neck. Interesting now to hear that the dress code was inconsistently applied. I was pretty pissed Saturday night and thought about raising a stink, but didn't want to be "that guy". Their party, their rules. I get that. Just a shame that someone who's a big enough Smithereens fan that he actually has a copy of DiNizio's solo work wasn't allowed to join the cool kids. Actually, now that I think about it, that kinda reminds me of my real prom. Maybe that's why I find myself listening to Alice 102 more and more these days...

Yeah, MJ, I had called the station ahead of time about the criteria for entry and when I talked to them, they were pretty adamant about the formal attire and that's just something I didn't want to really deal with that night after spending all day in Lawrence for the KU spring football game. Also wasn't sure if I needed to get down super early and get in line with the kids just to get in so I just wasn't feeling it. I wished they had just made free tix available ahead of time and just gave people the option of dressing up or not. They seemed like an odd choice for a Buzz event anyway, but missing this one that I actually had some mild interest in, probably puts me out of the running on ever attending one of their events. Oh well, my loss.

The whole Prom thing kept me away from the show as well. It's sad to hear that only about about 200 people were there to see The Smithereens towards the end (More people turned up at Knuckleheads for Anthony Gomes that same night). Why on earth would the radio station shoot themselves in the foot like that? It's senseless and kept a lot of people away from a show they would have actually paid money to see. Love The Smithereens (In addition to all of those awesome studio albums from way back when, their live disc from a few years back is also real good) and it appears I need to see Dead Sara next time they hit town. But again, that radio station apparently has their collective heads up their a$$es.....

A tie was about all that was required it looked like to me. I wore jeans and a black shirt with a tie. The prom thing was a pretty lame concept but she's been doing it for years and it seems to work. What's wrong with spiffing up a bit for a free show? They did do a Who cover too. They played Sparks from Tommy. Jim Babjak tore it up on that one.

Because I would have paid actual money to dress how I pleased. Just don't like anyone slapping 'rules' on a Rock show. Kinda defeats the purpose, but that's just me...Just think that The Buzz screwed up here. It obviously kept a lot of Smithereens fans away. Anyway, I stay away from that station because Afentra and pretty much everyone else on that station are annoying and those guys wouldn't know "Alternative" if it crapped on their lawn. Sorry to go negative, but I have never liked The Buzz. Maybe The Smithereens will return with a show not sponsored by some two-bit radio station.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a Buzz hater. I'm a fan of Lazlo and his hard drive and Robert Moore & think they'd be a better station if they played that stuff all the time. I'm actually ok with the idea of encouraging people to dress up for a show. I just couldn't imagine that they wouldn't let us in if we chose not to do it. I figured at most we'd draw the scorn of a few attendees for not being hip to the prom joke. Then to hear that the room was never more than a third full and was less than 10% full when the Smithereens were on, you just have to question the wisdom of turning warm bodies away at the door.

Pat D does a show in Vegas in a tiny room as three piece band. I saw him a few months ago and it was great. He tells stories plays some hits etc. Very amiable guy who personally thanks everyone individually for coming. If you in Vegas and have a chance catch his show.

May have gone except for the excellent Real Estate show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, a group The Buzz should be pushing as their "Days" album positively shimmers. Openers the Twerps from Australia are also worth keeping on your radar.

He (Pat D) actually ran for Congress a few years back. His fund raising deal was playing solo at house parties for a suggested donation of $20 pp. A friend of mine in DC hosted one. Although I was unable to attend, I heard it was a big hit. What better way to spend an evening than at a friend's house listening and hanging with Pat D for $20 plus the cost of a good 6 pack.

I saw Pat's Confessions of a Rock Star at the Riviera in Vegas about a month ago. It was outstanding. A very personal and intimate show in a small room with an excellent band backing him up. I was aware of the "prom" theme in advance and didn't have a problem with throwing on a tie for it. Too bad you missed it over a difference of opinion.

I kinda like the idea that you have to dress up, I would have gone but the bands didnt interest me that much. Back to the dress, hit a thrift store if you don't have the gear, surely you could find something and have a little fun in the process, but be sure to hit the merch table on the way out of the show.

FWIW, I didn't really have a problem with the prom/dress up scenario (I even had my outfit mapped out w/ Jerry Garcia tie), my problem was more with not being sure exactly how the whole ticketless/fashion process was going to work for entry. I guess I was just expecting alot more people and more of a hassle to get in and thinking I had to sit thru 3 hours and 3 bands I had no interest in just to see Pat & Co. Do agree with, MJ though, especially since it was a FREE show that wasn't full, they should have let anybody who showed up in the joint.

I don't disagree that letting anyone in once things got rolling to get bodies in the seats would have been the way to go. Seems silly not to. Just for the extra revenue from drink sales would have made business sense. All four bands were quite good and entertaining or one could have simply showed up later to catch the act they wanted to see. A couple I know showed up just before the Dead Sara set and had a great time. I expected to have to deal with a big crowd too and got there early to get good seats. It was a waste of time. I could have gotten there at any point and stood or sat just about anywhere I wanted. Awfully good show for such a light crowd in my opinion.

Another looooong time Smithereens fan here, who skipped the show because of the stupid Prom concept. You'd think with so few people listening to the radio these days that they would be more careful about doing things that annoy potential listeners.

I don't go to Rock & Roll shows to play dress up. The Buzz should have just given their young fans a headliner that they can appreciate, like that horrific band with that goofy, "We Are Young" song. Then they could have had their weird little prom and I wouldn't have given the show a second thought. Most of the Buzz's demographic probably had no clue who The Smithereens were and when they saw a slightly older band appear on stage, they probably left to go see some mind-numbing dubstep noise at another bar. But this was a little disappointing, as a fan of the headliner.

To think that I saw them in KC back in 1986, and to have been possibly kept out of the show because I wasn't wearing a tie (How UN-Rock & Roll!), while some tweenager can waltz right in, only to leave during the headliner. Senseless....I saw that The Smithereens were coming and got excited for about 20 seconds, until I saw that The Buzz was involved. Didn't they pull this crap by making The Psychedelic Furs and headliner at one of these 'Prom' shows? In the whole scheme of things, it's not THAT big a deal, just leave established bands off of your 'Package' shows in the future, OK, Da Buzz??

Thanks, Niv, but it almost makes me sad now that I didn't go. I would have been right up front enjoying it more than most in that video seemed to be. Did they do any other stuff off the new album? I'm guessing not for the shorter set, but any Smithereens fan should make a point of picking up/downloading "2011" as it's really a pretty good record and right in their hey day wheelhouse. Kind of sad how a band that once produced some of the most radio-friendly tunes of the last 30 years can't get their new, similarly sounding stuff anywhere near the airwaves.

They play "Sorry" on 90.9 the Bridge. Sorry and Keep on Running were the only tunes off of 2011 I think. They played Time and Time Again off of Especially For You; one of my faves... and the most popular stuff from their catalog pretty much, Only a Memory, Girl Like you, Top of the Pops, Blood and Roses, House We Used To Live In, plus the cover of Sparks I mentioned earlier. Those are what I remember off the top of my head. I'd happily put on a tie any day to see those guys again. I guess I'm sounding like quite the fan... guilty...

Does anybody remember seeing these guys at another radio promotions probably 20 or so years ago. KY102 day in the park at Shawnee Mission Park. It was on a Sunday and there were probably 10,000 people there. A great venue for the Smithereens would be Knuckleheads patio.

Yeah, CJ, remember that show well. Also saw the Fab T-Birds as a headliner to one of those deals. Those shows as well as all the $1.02 concerts they had around town were great. As for The Smithereens, I them at KU's Hoch Auditorium before it had the fire and also just lucked into catching them for $5 at an outdoor gig during a slight drizzle outside the Harrah's in Council Bluffs of all places while in Omaha for the College World Series in I believe, 2005. Love those guys, should have went.

They did a day at the beach deal at Smithville Lake one year I remember. I also saw them open for The Bodeans at the Uptown way back when, 1985 maybe. My favorite was the show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence when they were touring for Date With the Smithereens, 1994 I think. According to Jim Babjak's comment to me the other night, that album marked their decline from their peak in popularity. In his words "yeah, it was all over by then". Oddly enough that was one of their strongest albums and they were sounding better than ever.